Twentieth Century Fox & Apple Introduce iTunes Digital Copy

DVDs Include Free Copy of Movie for iTunes

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCOJanuary 15, 2008Twentieth Century Fox and Apple® today announced Digital Copy for iTunes®, which provides customers who purchase a DVD with an additional Digital Copy of the movie.

Just like movies purchased from the iTunes Store, an iTunes Digital Copy can effortlessly be transferred to iTunes and then viewed on a PC or Mac®, iPod® with video, iPhone or on Apple TV®. The first DVD to make its debut with iTunes Digital Copy is the Special Edition DVD premiere of the Family Guy “Star Wars” parody, “Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest,” which is being released in stores today. Fox and Apple are planning to deliver many more DVDs with iTunes Digital Copy this year.

“One of the most requested features DVD buyers have been asking for is the ability to get the movies they bought into their iTunes library,” said Jim Gianopulos, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to offer such an incredibly simple way for our customers to get even more out of their DVD purchase, and we look forward to releasing many more DVDs this year with iTunes Digital Copy.”

“Now movie fans can easily transfer a free copy of the movie they purchase on DVD into iTunes,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “DVDs containing an iTunes Digital Copy allow movie fans to get a copy of their movie which can be viewed on a computer, iPod, iPhone or on Apple TV.”

The new iTunes Digital Copy provides a consumer friendly way to transfer a DVD purchase to a user’s iTunes library. Once a customer buys the DVD, they insert it into their computer, enter a unique code into iTunes and iTunes automatically copies the movie to their iTunes library within minutes. Customers own the iTunes Digital Copy of the movie and it has all of the same great viewing options as other iTunes Store video content, including the ability to be viewed on a computer, iPod with video, iPhone and Apple TV. Each DVD will only transfer its iTunes Digital Copy to one iTunes library.

One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox Atomic, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation. FFE also includes Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Digital Copy as well as acquisitions and original productions.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

2008 EMOL.org Entertainment Magazine. BugWiser. All rights reserved.

From the Apple iTunes Web Site:

iTunes Store TV ShowsTV SHOWS: STAY TUNED TO ITUNES! With full seasons of “Lost,” “CSI,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and more. You will never miss your favorites shows. Shop more than 350 TV shows on the iTunes Store and watch them on your Mac or PC. Or sync them to your video-enabled iPod and watch them on the go. New iTunes TV Shows include: The Closer and Days of our Lives .

iTunes Store MusicMUSIC: INSTANT SONIC GRATIFICATION! Say sayonara to the superstore. Stop waiting for music to arrive in the mail. Forget subscription fees. With the iTunes Store, the music you love is at your fingertips -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. New iTunes Music Includes: Elvis Costello and Avril Lavigne.

iTunes Store MoviesMOVIES: PASS THE POPCORN! Buy digital films from the iTunes Store and go to the movies without leaving your comfy chair. Download flicks, watch them on your Mac or PC. Or, sync them to your iPod, and take a trip to the "pocketplex". New iTunes Movies include: No Direction Home (Bob Dylan) and Finding Nemo.